1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for preparing an ink jet recording head, an ink jet recording head prepared by said preparation process and an ink jet recording device equipped with said head. More particularly, it pertains to a process for preparing an ink jet recording head which forms ink channels where energy generating bodies for generating the energy to be utilized for discharging ink are arranged correspondingly, the ink jet recording head prepared according to said preparation process and the ink jet recording device equipped with said head.
2. Related Background Art
A representative example of the ink jet recording head which performs recording by use of the ink jet (liquid jet) recording system, is the ink jet recording head equipped with an ink passage including the ink channels or paths where energy generating bodies for generating the energy to be utilized for discharging the ink communicated to the fine discharging outlets for discharging the ink are arranged correspondingly, and the common liquid chamber for storing the ink to be fed to the ink channels.
In the prior art, one of the known comparatively effective processes for preparing such ink jet recording heads, is one having the steps as described below in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 61-154947 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,631).
(A) the step of providing a posi-type photosensitive resin layer on a substrate, effecting pattern exposure by use of a mask having a pattern corresponding to the ink passage, dissolving developing the light-irradiated portion with the use of a developer to form a solid layer corresponding to the pattern of the ink passage;
(B) the step of coating the solid layer with, for example, an active energy ray curable material or a thermosetting material, and irradiating an active ray energy from the above or applying heating, thereby curing the active energy ray curable material or the thermosetting material; and
(C) the step of forming an ink channel by dissolving away the solid layer by use of a solvent.
However, in such a process for preparing an ink jet recording head of the prior art, problems have ensued as described below accompanied primarily with developing, and removal of the solid layer.
(1) Since a solvent is utilized when forming ink channels by removing the solid layer shaped in a pattern in developing the solid layer, the developing device and the removal device for handling these solvents are required. PA1 (2) Accompanied with such devices, working steps become relatively complicated resulting in low production. PA1 (3) When removing the pattern-shaped solid layer, the solvent comes into contact with the ink passage forming member comprising the active energy ray curable material or the thermosetting material. For this reason, the ink passage forming member may swell, or sometimes dissolve with the result that fine peel-off may sometimes be generated between the substrate and the ink passage forming member. This will lead to lowering of the dimensional precision of the ink passage or lowering of the strength of the ink jet recording head.
Also, due to these problems, there has been a fear that such problems as irregularity of printing density because of variance of ink droplet sizes or printing deviation because of variance of ink discharging speeds may also occur.
The peripheral portion of the discharging outlet of the ink jet recording head is ordinarily applied with water repellent treatment for maintaining the good discharging state of ink, but when performing the water repellent treatment by removing the solid layer by dipping into a solvent, there have been problems in that the function of the water repellent agent coated on the discharging outlet surface was lowered by the solvent or that the water repellent agent may be sometimes be peeled off.
On the other hand, when the water repellent treatment is performed by discharging the water repellent agent from the support to the discharging outlet portion after removal of the solid layer, the water repellent agent may be sometimes penetrated from the discharging outlet into the ink passage, whereby the discharging speed of ink, the size of ink droplet, the discharging direction of ink etc. may be changed by the water repellent agent penetrated, resulting in poor performance.